LOS ANGELES (CN) - A cable TV producer for a Time Warner show forced an actress to perform a pornographic scene by threatening to sue her for $100,000 if she refused, the actress claims in court.
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Anne G sued the production company, True Crime, and Time Warner Media and its subsidiaries HBO and Cinemax, which broadcasts the show "Femme Fatales."
In her Superior Court complaint, Anne G claims that when she auditioned for a role in "Femme Fatales" she was not told she would have to perform in sexually explicit scenes. She says she would not have accepted the part had she known.
True Crime hired her for three days in early December 2011 to appear on the show, as a member of the (nonparty) union, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the complaint states.
"On or about December 5, 2011, the first day of shooting, plaintiff's rights and protections were absent from the consideration of production. Rather than performing the script for which she had prepared devoid of any scenes for which she was uncomfortable with, she was blindsided with rewrite after rewrite which necessitated her character to simulate sexual intercourse and her to appear nude but for pasties on her nipples and a sticker on her private parts, without the proper health and safety protections in place or a set that was closed except for essential production crew," the 13-page complaint states.
Anne G says that when she objected to the explicit nature of the script changes, True Crime threatened to sue her for $100,000 for breach of contract.
She says she performed the scenes under duress, "while having emotional breakdowns and in a state of shock."
Union rules require a closed set for scenes involving nudity or semi-nudity, but Anne G says the camera rolled with "nonessential production crew and talent" present.
"During one of the scenes at issue, defendants informed plaintiff that she would be performing a scene depicting aggressive sexual intercourse with a male performer while she was topless with a pasty on her vagina and nothing more than a sock on the male performer's private parts. Plaintiff was told by defendants that [they] were not allowed to show bra lines or underwear whatsoever,'" the complaint states.
"During this particular scene the male performer began to bleed from the mouth resulting in a transference of blood onto plaintiff's face and body," according to the complaint. "When plaintiff communicated this fact to production during the scene she was informed to 'Keep Going!' and the male performer was directed to cup her breasts to continue the production of the scene regardless of the obvious health and safety issues. This resulted in plaintiff having to obtain a sexual transmitted disease laboratory test as a precautionary measure independent of any concern or assistance from defendants."
She also claims that the patches covering her nipples and the sticker on her vagina did not fit properly and came off.
"Plaintiff alleges that on several occasions, defendants, through executive director Steve Kriozere, assistant director Joe Schwartz, among others, made unwelcome and inappropriate sexual comments to her, such as stating, 'Showing your tits [are] a prerequisite to even be on this show' and 'How big are [plaintiff's] nipples?' Plaintiff was also reminded multiple times by defendants that 'If [plaintiff] did what they wanted and showed her breasts they [defendants] would be very loyal because they have many other big shows that [plaintiff] could be cast in.'" (Brackets in complaint.)
Kriozere and Schwartz are not parties to the lawsuit.
Anne G says she quit the show on Dec. 6, 2011, one day before her contract was due to expire.
She seeks costs and damages for Labor Code violations, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligent hiring and supervision.
She is represented by David Olan of Santa Monica.
Time Warner did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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